Watchman s time-recorder



(No Model.)

A. G. HOWARD.

WATOHMANS TIME RECORDER.

No. 354,904. Patented Dec. 28, 1886.

lmlill llllllv l lwmm mum lllllllllll mmlllllm W 21:, b 9% w N, PETERS rmmum w. wnsm wmi c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

ALBERT O. I IO\VARD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

WATCHMANS TIME-RECORDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part oi Letters Patent No. 354,904, dated December 28, 1886.

Application filed May 12, 1886. Serial No. 201,955.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT O. HOWARD, of Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in NVatchmens Time-Detectors, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to construct a watchmans time-recorder containing a suitable moving dial to be perforated, indented, or otherwise marked by a key provided with indicating-points, the said dial being securely locked within the case, so that the watchman having charge of the recorder cannot get at and tamper with the dial without being detected.

In accordance with this invention the platen or disk upon which is placed the dial to be marked is rotated by a motor concealed within a box or case, the cover of which when applied is held closed by asuitable locking device. The box or case contains means operated by the motor to release the locking device atpredetermined times and permit the cover to be removed to expose the dial. The locking device may be made to keep the recorder closed for a longer or shorter time, permitting it to be opened only after a stated time to secure access to the dial. Means operated by the motor have been provided for releasing the locking device just before the motor runs down, so that the cover may beremoved and the motor rewound without the necessity of breaking open the box or case. Suitable mechanism under the control of a motor is also provided for automatically opening andclosing at predetermined times a hole in the faceplate through which the indicating points of the key pass, so that the watchman can only have access to the box to mark the dial at predetermined intervals. The locking device,consisting, essentially,of atwoarmed lever to engage a tongue of the cover, is operated to unlock or release the cover by a releasing device consisting, essentially, of a toothed w heel mounted upon the winding-arbor carrying the platen, upon which the dial rests, said toothed wheel meshing with a pinion mounted upon a second arbor and carrying a segmental plate, which during a portion of each revolution of the said pinion strikes one end of the locking device. A toothed wheel (No model.)

mounted loosely upon the second arbor and made independently movable thereon by a tooth carried by the platen is turned one tooth at a time during each revolution of the platen, so that a single tooth or spur projecting from the said toothed wheel is made to strike the end of the locking device to effect the release of the cover just before the motor runs down.

The mechanism employed to open and close the hole in the face-plate through which the indicating-points of the key pass consists of a bent lever, one end of which normally covers the said hole, the opposite end of the said lever being struck by spurs or teeth projecting from a rim or collar carried bya toothed wheel, said toothed wheel being rotated by a toothed wheel mounted upon the winding-arbor.

The box or case containing the motor and moving dial 'and other appurtenances, and herein termed a recorder, is carried by the watchman,wl1o employs keys of different construction by which to mark the dialsuch, for instance, as shown and described in the application of A. Craig and T. S. Nowell, Serial No. 177,415, filed September 18, 1885, to which reference may be had, the said keys hanging in different rooms under the watchmans patrol.

Figure 1 shows in plan view a recorder or time-detector embodying this invention, the cover being removed and the locking device in position to lock the cover of the box or case; Fig. 2, a similar view with the platen and supporting ring or plate removed; Fig. 3, a detail showing a portion of the locking and releasing device, together with the mechanism controlling it, the remaining portion of the box or case being broken away; Fig. i, a cross section of the cover alone; Fig. 5, an enlargeddetail oft-he locking device; and Fig. 6,a crosssection ofhig. 1, taken on the dotted line a: a: on a larger scale.

The box or case A contains a motor, (not shown, but of usual CO1lSblLlCblOl1,) the said motor effecting through usual devices the rotation of the arbor a, carrying the toothed wheel a. The arbor a, which is also the windingarbor of the motor, has secured toit above the toothed wheel a a platen or disk, a the said platen having two pointed pins or studs, 2 3, rising from its surface, (see Fig. 1,) to hold in position apaper or other suitable dial (not shown) pressed thereon, the edge of the said dial resting upon the supporting ring or plate b, mounted upon suitable posts or standards, b. The toothed wheel a meshes with a pinion, a, the arbor a of which (see Fig. 3) has its bearing in the face-plate B. The pinion a has secured to it a segmental plate or projection, a, the periphery or surface of which lies flush with or projects a little beyond the periphery of the said pinion.

The faceplate B has pivoted to it by a screw, 4, the locking device composed of a two-armed lever, c o, the arm 0 being bent to constitute a bolt to engage a slotted tongue, 0', (see Fig. 4,) secured to the cover 0 at its inner side. The end 0 of the arm a of the said lever, acted upon by the spring 0 is normally held in the path of the segmental plate a, so that as the pinion a? is revolved the segmental plate acts upon the said lever and withdraws its boltlike end 0 from the said tongue, thereby releasing the cover.

The cover remains unlocked as long as the segmental plate acts against the arm a,- but as soon as the said segmental plate passes be yond the said arm 0, the arm a, under the ac tion of spring 0 immediately engages the tongue 0 so it will be seen that the time during which the register remains unlocked may be determined by the length of the said segmental plate. In this instance the pinion a is supposed to rotate once in twenty-four hours, and the segmental plate being of one-third the circumference of the said pinion, the register will be locked forsixteen hours and unlocked for eight hours.

The hub of the platen a. has a tooth, a", (see dotted lines, Fig. 1,) which engages one of the regular teeth of a toothed wheel, 6, mounted upon the arbor a loosely, and held by a friction device, 6*, the tooth to acting once during each rotation of the platen to move the said toothed wheel 6 intermittingly independent of the pinion a The toothed wheel ehas one high tooth, e, which in the rotation -of the wheel strikes the auxiliary arm 0 secured to the arm 0 of the locking lever or device a 0, thereby moving the said lever on its pivot and withdrawing the arm 0 from the tongue 0. The toothed wheel e, turning frictionally on the arbor and moving independently of the pinion a, may be placed in-any desired position, so that its high tooth 6 will strike the arm 0 and withdraw the arm cjust before the motor runs down. It is obvious that this po-. sition may be determined by winding the motor, the tooth upon the hub of the platen moving the said toothed wheel 6 backward as the winding-arbor is revolved. By such mechanism the necessity of breaking open the recorder, should the motor run down, is obviated.

As another precaution to prevent the watchman tampering with the dial, means are provided for opening and closing the holef in the face-plate B, through which the indicatingpoints of the key pass, so that the said holef is open for but a short interval of time, during which time the watchman must mark the dial.

The device herein shown for efi'ecting this result consists of a bent lever comprising two bent arms, a a, the arm n being broadened at its end to cover the hole f, and being normally held in the position shown in Fig. 2 by a spring, of. The lever is turned on its pivot to open the hole f at intervals by a series of spurs or projections, n fastened to a collar, 71*,- mounted upon atoothed wheel, a having its bearings in the face-plate B, and rotated by the toothed wheel a, mounted upon the winding-arbor a, there being in this instance twelve such projections to open the holeffor a short time once an hour; yet it is obvious that any suitable number of projections may be employed, according to circumstances.

It is also obvious that other devices controlled by the motor may be employed for effecting this result; so Ido not desire to limit myself to the construction herein shown.

As it may be sometimes desirable to lock the bent lever c 0' out of engagement with the tongue 0', so that the cover may be removed at any time, a rack-bar, 0, moving in a suitable guide, 0, and having an engaging or hooked end, 0*, to engage the arm a of the bent lever, is employed to effect this result. A toothed wheel, 0 having its hearings in the faceplate B and rotated by a suitable pin or stud, 0*, meshes with the teeth of the rack-bar 0, to move the latter, a suitable spring-controlled pawl, 0 being employed to prevent backward rotation of the toothed wheel 0 To avoid the necessity of breaking the case to repair or start the motor, if under any circumstance the said motor should stop, a piece of glass, 3, is set into the cover C, which may be broken when desired.

The cover 0 has on its under side a lip or flange, s, spun or turned over on the glass to hold the same in place; yet it is obvious that the glass may be set in any other manner, the only necessity being that the method of setting be such as to require considerable time as well as the employment of amachineas a lathe, for instanceto complete the work, so that the glass cannot be broken by the watchman, the dial tampered with, and the glass reset during the night. The watchman carrying the recorderabout with him in'serts therein the several different keys, preferably of the construction described in the patent referred. to, and hung in the different rooms, and by the said keys marks, indent's, or perforates the dial from below upward, the finger a being employed as a foundation against which the dial is pressed. The person having charge of the watchman may during the day, or before again giving the recorder to the watchman, remove the cover 0, inspect the dial, and insert a new one, and wind the motor, if necessary.

It is obvious that instead of employing the tongue 0 at the under side of the cover G,any ordinary lock maybe employed,controlled by the arm 0 of the bentlever, and, also, that the locking and releasing device herein shown, while being preferable, may be variously modified to carry out the result herein specified.

It is also obvious that instead of employing the arm a as the bolt to lock the cover 0, any suitable bolt or fastening controlled as to its operation by the bent lever may be employed.

I claim 1. In a watchmanstimerecordena case containing 21. motor, a moving disk or platen upon which the dial is laid, and a toothed wheel moving simultaneously with the platen, and a segmental plate or projection deriving its movement from the said toothed wheel, combined with looking and releasing devices, under the control of the said segmental plate or projection, for locking and releasing the cover 0, substantially as described.

2. In a watchmans time-recorder, a case and motor therein, a moving platen or disk, and a toothed wheel, a, combined with a pinion, a and segmental plate a, carried by it, and a spring-controlled bent lever, all substantially as described.

3. In a watchmans time-recorder, the case and motor therein, and a moving platen or disk,combined with a face-plate havingahole or opening, f, for the insertion of the key for' indenting and perforating the dial carried by the moving platen or disk, and means, substantially as described, controlled by the motor, for opening and closing the said hole, as set forth.

4. In a watchmans time-recorder, the case and motor therein,amoving platen or disk, and

thetoothed wheel a, combined with aperforated face-plate, B, and means, substantially as described, controlled by the toothed wheel a, for intermittingly opening and closing the perforation in the face-plate at predetermined intervals, substantially as described.

5. In a watchmans time-recorder, a case and motor therein, a moving platen or disk, and the toothed wheel a, combined with the toothed wheel a, a series of spurs or projections, W, and a bent lever, a n, all substantially as described. I

6. In a watchmans time-recorder, the case and motor therein, a moving platen or disk, and locking devices and releasing devices for locking and releasing the cover 0, combined with means, substantially as described, for positively holding the locking device out of engagement to retain the register unlocked, substantially as described.

7. In a watchmans time-recorder, the case and motor therein, combined with a cover, locking and releasing devices, controlled by the motor, for locking and releasing the said cover, and means, substantially as described, for releasing the locking device to release the cover j ust before the motor runs down,snbstantially as described.

In testimony whereofl havesigned my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT O. HOWARD.

WVitnesses:

F. CUTTER, BERNICE J. NoYns. 

